Method to connect a mobile node to a network

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for connecting a mobile node (1) comprising a plurality of network connection interfaces (11a, 11b) to at least one network (3) using the mobile internet protocol with the following steps for the respective interfaces (11a, 11b): —the mobile node (1) retrieves a local IP address (CoAa, CoAb) and at least one DNS server (5, 5a, 5b) address using DHCP on the interface (11a, 11b), —the mobile node (1) stores in a list the at least one returned DNS server (5, 5a, 5b) address, —the mobile node (1) queries the at least one DNS server (5, 5a, 5b) which has its address stored in the list for home agent service and receives either a “service not supported” failure notification or the address of at least one home agent (9a, 9b) reachable on the interface (11a, 11b),—the mobile node (1) stores in the list the results of the query, either “service not available” or the home agent (9a, 9b) addresses returned for the respective DNS Servers (5, 5a, 5b) inquired, —the mobile node (1) obtains a home address (Ho Aa, Ho Ab) on the interface, _13 the mobile node (1) attempts to perform a binding update for care-of-address (Co Aa, Co Ab) and home address (HoAa, HoAb) towards the at least one home agent (9a, 9b) address stored in the previous list and updates its stored list accordingly with respective binding success or binding failure notifications, in case of success, the mobile node (1) records on the list a fully qualified domain name associated to the interface (11a, 11b). The invention also relates to the associated mobile node and DHCP unit.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications and more specifically of a mobile device connecting simultaneously to multiple networks using mobile IP protocol (MIP) and managing accordingly its at least one DNS identity as visible to other internet nodes.[0002]The Domain Name System (DNS) allows nodes connected to the internet to know each other by using logical names (Fully Qualified Domain Name). This allows nodes to be independent of IP addresses they are assigned at a particular time. Logical names are permanent and represent logical identities of machines while IP addresses are volatile and represent physical addresses where machines can be reached through the internet infrastructure. Specific servers, the Domain Name Servers, maintain relationships between domain names and IP addresses and perform translation between logical names and IP addresses.[0003]To support mobile nodes, routers called home agents (HA) perform tunnelli...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This patent describes a way to make sure that a mobile device can communicate with other devices even if it has multiple interfaces and certain ones may fail. This is done by creating a set of rules that allow the device to effectively use its remaining interfaces and still be able to connect with other devices.

Problems solved by technology

Since no specific mechanism is currently defined to handle the multiple interfaces case, the DNS update process leads to the following behaviours:in the single FQDN case, the lastly bound home address is always mapped to the FQDN, leading to the use of only the one associated interface at mobile node level,in the multiple FQDN case, the mobile node is known under separate and unrelated logical identities by the outside world, leading to potential lack of connectivity when one of the mobile interfaces drops.

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